Towel cabinet



Jan. 1, 1935. E. 1'. H-AILS 1,936,395

' TOWEL CABINET Original Filed May 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Snow/Fez:

EduardZHazLg- 1% Ma gn Jan. I, 1935. 1', 5 1,986,395

' TOWEL CABINET Original Filed May 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 WLWW y? yr [M A o a1? 11 i X am I a 2 V75; 1 +4 I! 1 '1 7f I Edward THdllp,

/ fl/ (87), F134 ant/014401362 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 Application 'May"18, 1929, Serial No. 364,209

Renewed May 8, 1934 '3"Claims. (Cl. 312-37) The present inventionrelates to'towel cabinets from which individual towels are dispensed andembodies, -more specifically, 'an improved form of towel-cabinet inwhich the-opera-ting mechanism is simple in--construction andeffectively functions to return a used towel automatically into--the'towe'l cabinet. Such return is slow initially; and is accelerated afterafiesired period of time within which the average user will complete thewiping operation.

this manner, ample time is afforded the user 'to completefthe wiping"operation and the towel will not be pulled away from 'hi-mduring actualuse thereof. The means 'for providing access to "the *towels, --after\being actuated, *affords a "positive return for the soiledtowe'l andinsures*-the quick and effective "disappearance of soiled towels. r Anobject of the presentinvention, accordingly, is to-provide'atowelcabinet whichis manually operated to provide a poteritial towelreturning force which functions after thetowel "hasbeen'used. -A furtherobject of the, invention is'to provide a 'towel cabinet .in which thetowel .returning force is retarded 'slifiiciently to afford ade- -'quatetime for "using the towel' before thereturning'force-becomeseffective. I.A further object of the "invention is'gto pro- Vide a towel'cabinet oftheabove character-in which the towel returning forceisretardedoluring'an'initial period, and accelerated during a finalperiod for returning the towel quickly to the cabinet for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved towelsupporting means, and means for freeing the edge of a towel from itspack to facilitate the exposing thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved towelsupporting means within a towel cabinet of the above character.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent as it is described ingreater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view in front elevation showing a towel cabinetconstructed in accordance with the present invention. 50 Figure 2 is aview similar to Figure 1, showing the operating means actuated to exposethe towel and enable it to be pulled out ready for use.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the front of the cabinetswung through 180 inet by a suitable securing means a 'i-ng hooks a areprovided in the cabinet from to expose the operating mechanism-andcontents of the cabinet. t

Figure 4 is a view in sectiontaken online 4-4 of Figure l, and lookingin the direction of' the arrows.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4,. showing the operating knobelevated in the position shown in Figure 2, a towel having been pulledthrough the opening ready for use.

Figurefiis aperspective-view showing the-rear '10 plate of a towel clampconstructed in accordance "with the present invention.

Figure 7 is a view-similar to Figure-6 showing a front 'p'lateof thetowel clamp. V

Referring to the above'drawings, a designates a suitable cabinet-havinga front cover a" which maybe secured in a closed position to the cabedwhich the towel clamp is suspended. l

If desired a mirror a -may be provided on'the jouter 'face of the covera and an aperture a is formed in the cover through which one may reachto grasp a towel- A vertical groove a ;formed in the cover a, serves 'asa guide forthe '25 operating knob b of a-weight b. 7

At the upper portion of the cabinet, between the cover 'andthe 'top'yof'the cabinet, 'an elongated aperture a is provided through which 'theweight b may passwhen itliS elevated by moving "the knobb' to theposition'shown in 'Figurezg' The weight b rides'in grooves "formed. byretaining flanges a on the cover a and is formed with an. aperture bwhich aligns with aperture a when the knob is in the position shown inFigure 2. In this position, a front edge of a towel is exposed for useand the towel may be pulled out by reaching through the alignedapertures and pulling the edge thereof as shown in Figure 5. Adjacentthe upper edge of the aperture b the weight b carries an inwardlyextending lip 21 which engages the edge of the foremost towel of thepack and frees it from the pack, thus facilitating the grasping of thetowel by the user.

A bracket a is mounted on one side of the cabinet a and is formed withspaced semi-circular flanges (1 between which a semi-circular groove isprovided. In order to retard the downward movement of the weight b, acounterweight c is provided. This counterweight is connected to theweight b by a strap (1. In the preferred form, the groove between theflanges a is formed of metal and the strap d is also formed of metal.Connecting the strap d to an eye 17 on the weight b, is a leather strape. It will be understood, of course, that the coefiicient of frictionbetween leather and metal is greater than that between metal and metal.In view of this fact, therefore, movement of the weight 0 during theperiod that the leather strap 6 rides over the metal bracket is slowerthan when the metal strap d rides over the metal bracket. Properselection of materials, radius of curvature of the groove on the bracketa and weight of counterweight a, will provide the time intervals foundmost desirable for these successive periods of operation.

It is preferred that the towels be secured together as by sewing alongcorresponding adjacent edges of the towels, thus forming in effect, abook of towels. Each towel h is doubled back upon itself and thesuccessive towels overlie each other as clearly shown in Figure 4. Inthis position they are clamped by means of front and back plates and g,respectively. Elastic bands 9 are secured to the back plate g and engageThese keepers are notched at 9' to plate is further provided withapertures i which engage the hooks a. and suspend the book of towels inan inverted position in the cabinet.

:The towel engaging surface of the back plate g in the connected ends ofthe towels and this rod is carried in suitable notches a formed at thesides of the towel cabinet. After being used, the towels fall downwithin the cabinet as shown in Figure 4 and after all of the towels havebeen used, they are suspended from the rodi in a manner which will bequite apparent. Projecting shoulders ca engage the forward lowerportions of the book of towels at either side thereof and thus serve asa reenforcement for preventing. more than onetowel from being removed ata time when the book is large. I f

V In order that suitable advertising may be displayed when a towelisbeing used, a frame 9' is provided with a rearwardly extending flange9 which is engaged by the upwardly movingedge of the weight 'bandelevated tothe position shown. in Figure 5. Suitable advertising indiciamay be applied to the front face of the frame a and thusautomaticallydisplayed as the towel is used. On the. forward face of the weight 1),

clips b are provided for receiving additional ad vertising matter It.When the knob is raised to the position shown in Figures 3 and 5, theadvertising matter is is above the opening a but, as the weight drops,the advertising matter is displayed through the opening.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the rear plateof the towel clamp follows the pack and advances toward the front plateas the towels are withdrawn and used. The front plate stays in place andthus always -provides a free edge of a towel adjacent the opening uWhile the invention has been described with specific reference to theconstruction shown in the accompanying drawings, it is obvious tion, anda non-rotatable metallic friction surface in the cabinet over which theportions pass.

2. In a device of the character described having a cabinet adapted toreceive a plurality of towels and a weightedclosure thereon adapted tobe moved to exposea towel for use, a counterweight in the cabinet, meansconnecting the counterweight to the weighted closure, said means havingportions, the coefficients of friction of which diffen and anon-rotatable surface in thecabinet over which the connecting meanspasses.

3..In a device of the character described having a cabinet adapted toreceive a plurality of, towels, manually operated means to expose atowel for use and return. a used towel into the cabinet, means operableupon exposing a towel for use to control the action of the last namedmeans, said means comprising means whereby the operation of the firstnamed means is slow at first and more rapid after a predetermined time.

' EDWARD T. I-IAILS.

